The Luxurious New Ride--Recumbent Tricycles

Translated by Naomi Lai

A growing number of people are embracing recreational exercise these days. For those looking for a truly unique way to enjoy their exercise, a relatively fresh option are recumbent bicycles and tricycles. Once limited to occasional appearances in Western movies, recumbents are now cruising the streets of Taiwan as more and more riders fall in love with these delightful new rides. If you haven't yet had the chance to take a closer look at them yet, read on for a good introduction to recumbents.

The most popular recumbents are:-Recumbent tricycles: Available in two styles, either with two wheels in the front, called a "tadpole" in Europe; or with two wheels in the back, called a "delta".-Recumbent bicycles: Including over-seat steering, under-seat steering, low racers and high racers. -Tandem recumbent: A conversion of a tandem bicycle.-Velomobile: Cased in a carbon fiber or fiber reinforced plastic body with a rocket-like aerodynamic shape to reduce drag.

Recumbents have many advantages over regular bicycles and we recommend the following two German-made recumbent tricycles:

The two vehicles shown in the photographs are designed by famed HP Velotechnik and HASE Spezialrader. They each feature a classy and fluid body design, ergonomic seat and almost completely handmade equipment. It is not tiring to take long rides on a recumbent because of its lower body, reclined seat and reduced wind resistance. The angle of the recumbent's seating also decreases the pressure applied to the waist and spine by 10 times compared to regular bicycles.

Kettwiesel:Designed by HASE Spezialrader, the Kettwiesel is a hard-to-find delta recumbent. It is very manuverable with its single front wheel, and with its simple steering system you can easily travel on city streets. An optional coupling allows you to connect two or more Kettwiesels together, making it a great choice for a joyride with your family. The special HASE-made differentials also allow you to go off-roading on your Kettwiesel.

Scorpion FX:Designed by HP Veloptechnik, the Scorpion FX is a foldable tadpole recumbent with two wheels in the front. It has the stability of a recumbent tricycle and the convenience of a foldable trike. The Scorpion offers two types of comfortable seating, with one type made from fiber reinforced plastic. It also offers a full suspension system with two upgraded suspensions on the front wheels plus the original rear suspension system, making it the star of tadpole recumbents.

The recumbents designed by HP Velotechnik and HASE Spezialrader all originate from handmade prototypes created by the German design team and tested by professional riders and research teams before going into mass production. Every step of production, from soldering to stress tests, is certified by the EN Quality Certification. All components, including the frame, tubes and steering, must pass countless strictly-regulated test runs before they are delivered to customers. The paint coating is done by car manufactuers in Germany. To date, we have obtained a limited number of 100 tricycles for sale to trike lovers in Taiwan.

These recumbent tricycles are currently sold in Asia by Source Solutions. For those of you who enjoy the great outdoors, having a high-quality recumbent will undoubtedly take your recreational experiences to a whole new level of fun.